My phalaenopsis has deep yellow, wrinkled leaves. :(

[globetrotteri]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to Orchid Board and I'm looking forward to meeting new friends and learning more about these beautiful flowers we are all so obsessed with. I plan on delving into these forums right away, but before I do that, I'm in need of some help.

I think I'm killing my orchid and I really have no idea what I'm doing. This is my first moth orchid.

I bought my phalaenopsis about three weeks ago. The bottom two leaves started turning yellow within a week. I followed the instructions I was given and I water it once a week. It's not sitting in direct sunlight and our apartment is quite humid as we live in Taiwan. I've also placed it in a tray filled with pebbles and water to accommodate for evenings when we run our air conditioner for a few hours.

I can't tell if I'm overwatering or under watering. I stuck a stick into the media to see if it's coming out wet because I read that orchids can get root rot really easily. The stick came out dry so I gave it more water. I've also read that the pot that the orchid came in might not be a good option, but I'm scared that it will die if I repot it. (Plus I've only ever repotted hardy plants, so I'm a little worried about how to do that without causing more damage.)

The bottom two leaves are super wrinkled now and they have turned a deep mustard yellow. The flowers and the top two leaves still look healthy. I've uploaded a photo for viewing.

Does anyone have any advice?

[NYCorchidman]

I have to say your orchid looks very cute the way they turned the spikes into a shape. I should try that on my next spikes.

The yellowing leaves are usually due to dehydration as a result of underwatering or overwatering (root rot) or natural process of aging.

Did this plant have all four leaves green when you bought it?

I don't think the overwatering is the issue here because you mentioned that the media was not wet when you checked it. Was it completely bone dry though?

The white decorative pot probably has no drainge hole, right? It can be a problem only if you water too much.
What media is the plant potted in?
If it's in bark, then you can just take the whole pot to the sink and drain it after watering. If in moss, you can be carefully water just to keep the moss moist.

If this seems all too confusing, you can just take the plant out of that white pot and put the plant in any other pot with a drainage hole on the bottom.

[Wynn Dee13]

Hello and welcome to OB! Yellowing leaves can be from a few different things like NYCorchidman said. Phalaenopsis orchids do loose their bottom leaves normally when they get old. But it also can be from other things like root rot or over watering and under watering. It also could be from the plant adjusting to its new environment. You want to make sure the roots are not rotting because if they are the plant can go down hill fast and you want to catch it as soon as possible.

It looks like your plant is in a decorative pot. Is the orchid potted directly in the white pot or is it potted in another pot with that pot sitting in the white decorative pot? In your pics it also looks like there is some kind of decorative green moss on the top of the medium. This can make it hard to know when to water and it can keep the plant too wet. If there is you need to take that off. I would take the plant out of the white outer pot if the plant is potted in another pot inside the outside pot and check to see what the plant is potted in and see how the roots look. If the plant is potted directly in the white pot you need to repot it. The pot needs drainage holes. Hybrid Phals are hardy plants and a lot of people repot them while in bloom and the plant does fine. When you buy an orchid you never know what it is planted in and if the meadium is ok or not. You want to make sure the meadium is not decomposed too much and make sure the roots are firm and plump. If they are hollow or squishy they are rotten. Phal roots are usually silvery green when dry and green when wet. If they are a different color but still firm and plump they should be fine. These orchids need air flow to the roots. Phalaenopsis orchids grow on trees in the wild with their roots exposed to the air. If they are kept too wet with no air they will die quickly.

Let us know how the plant is potted and what the roots look like and we will help you with the next step.

[globetrotteri]

Thank you both for your quick replies, Wynn Dee and NYCorchidman. I really appreciate your help. This is a really nice welcome, although I'm sorry it's about sick plant.

Yes, it had four green leaves when I bought it at an outdoor flower market in Taipei. Taiwan is VERY humid and our apartment is really humid if we're not running the AC. If we are running it, we run it for a couple of hours in the evening. My phal is not sitting near or directly under the AC.

There is a thick 1/5 inch layer of decorative green moss on top of everything. I removed the moss, but I'm not sure what medium it's in. It looks like another kind of moss. I've attached a photo for you to see.

The white pot has a dime-sized hole in the bottom of it. There is a dime-size hole in the bottom of that as well.

I can see some healthy green roots, but the majority of it looks silver-grey or dark grey. Some roots are withered, others look wrinkled or are snapped off. It doesn't look healthy at all.

I watered it yesterday and it still feels damp and moist, but some roots are withered and bone dry.

[Wynn Dee13]

Most of the roots I can see look fine. If they are white and not green but firm it means they are dry or just have not seen any light to turn green. If they are grey it means they are dry. How much water do you use when you water? Dry moss usually will repel water at first so you need to water until the moss is no longer crunchy. If you just watered it yesterday and it is only damp now I would think it needs to be watered more. If you are watering once a week and it is drying out in a couple days the plant is going dry for quite a long time. You want to water when the moss is dry or nearly dry. So you really can't tell someone how many times a week to water since everyone's environment is different. You live in a warm place too. The roots out of the meadium or aerial roots can shrivel some from low humidity and from change in the environment. Remember this plant was growing in a cozy greenhouse and then traveled to the store you bought it at then to your house. Usually the plants need some time to get used to its new environment.

I would take your plant out of the pot and see how packed the moss is around the root ball. It is planted in sphagnum moss. Sometimes when you buy them in moss it is packed really tight and the inside roots are rotting. Many people that are new to orchids can have a hard time watering orchids correctly in moss. I would repot the plant because it looks like you only have two green leaves left and you don't want to loose anymore. Can you see a new leaf forming in the crown yet? You should see one soon especially after it is done blooming. Also if you have some root rot in the middle of the root ball you need to take care of it soon.

To repot you need to get a pot with good drainage that fits the healthy root ball snugly. I prefer a clear pot so you can see what is going on inside the pot. The pot it is in now is a flimsy cheep pot the growers plant them in to save money. I wouldn't use that one but if you can't find anything else it might be okay. You can use a clay pot too but it will dry out faster. I'm talking about a terra cotta pot not a glazed decorative pot. You will also need some new meadium. A lot of people like to use a good draining bark mix with a plastic pot. It depends on your watering habits and humidity etc. So you will have to decide on what you want to use. It sounds like you have good humidity so that is good. When you repot, cut off all rotten roots. They will be hollow, squishy, and not firm. You can also remove the dead leaves. They should just pull off or you could wait until they fall off on their own. When repotting orchids always use sterile cutting tools. This is really important when you have more than one orchid because they can transmit viruses and other diseases. I use a bleach solution. You can also take a torch and put the cutting tool under the flame to kill anything. Some people also use single use razor blades. When you get the bark soak it overnight. Bark or really any meadium dries out faster when it's new. You can look up potting orchids online and there are videos or buy a book to help you if you need it. Also you can post a new thread about repotting in the repotting thread and you will probably get more advice on the subject. Good luck and let me know if you have anymore questions!

[Wynn Dee13]

A couple more things... The two green leaves look pretty good so that is a great sign. If they start to go limp and wrinkly that isn't good. I think you are most likely not watering enough and the plant is adjusting to its new home. Not watering enough is better than watering too much. It is way easier to fix! I don't think it is dying.

[globetrotteri]

Hi Wynn Dee,

Thank you SO much for your help and advice. I am going to the outdoor market today to see if I can find a new pot and some new medium for it. I'm going to repot it tonight and see how it is next week. Fingers crossed and thank you again!